Mature larvae of Chalieorloma mystaceana Michener, Megachile macularis Dalla Torre and an unidentified leafcutter Megachile sp., and the pupa of Chalicodoma mysraceana, are described, illustrated and compared. Biological information on their development and cocoon structure is given.
IntroductionImmature stages can play an important r61e in clarifying and confirming relationships between taxa of Apoidea. Most taxonomic studies of bees are restricted to adults, the instar most easily collected and preserved, and the immature stages of many are unknown.Traditionally, the family Megachilidae is divided into 2 subfamilies: Megachilinae and Lithurginae. Rozen (1977), on the basis of his work on mature larvae, added a third, Fideliinae. Most Australian Megachilidae are Megachilinae, divided into the tribes Megachihi and the much smaller Anthidiini. Within the Megachilini, Michener (1962) considered there is an important biological division between those using mud, sand, pebbles and resin, and those cutting leaves and petals for nest building. Chalicodoma mysraceana Michener, 1962 is included in the first group, and the 2 species of Megachile Latreille described below fit in the second.Bray (1968) attempted to establish artificial colonies of megachilids at Samford, near Brisbane, Queensland, to act as pollinators in a breeding programme for lucerne